Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-02-28

And cast a wistful eye
To Canaan's fair and happy land,
Where my possessions lie.
y, the transporting, rapturous scene
That rises on my sight
Sweet fields arrsyed in living green,
And rivers OF delight"
But there is
ONE STEP STILL IN ADVANCE
suggested by this subject If this religion
OF Christ is so important in life, and so i'm
poTtant in the last hours of life, how much
more important il will be in the great
eternity need not stand here and argue
it. There is something within your soul
that says now, while speak: IL am I'M
mortal; the stars shall die, but am i'm
mortal" You feel that your existence on
earth is only a small piece of your being
1t is only mile up TO the grave, but il is
ten thousand miles beyond. The slab Of
the tomb is only milestone on which We
read of the infinite distance yet 10 be tray
eled The world itself will grow old and
die The stars of our night will burn
down in their sockets and expire. The
sun, like spark struck from an anvil, will
flash and 80 out. The winds will utter
their last whisper, aud ocean heave its last
groan; but you and will live for ever
Gigantic Mighty to suffer or
enjoy. Mighty Ia love or hate. Mighty
to soar or sink. Then, what will be to us
the store, the shop, the Office, the applause
of the world, the scorn OF our enemies, the
things that lifted us up, aud the things
that pressed Us down? What Ia John
Wesley are all the m0hs that howled after
him? What TO Voltaire are all the nations
that applauded hiri' What to Paul now,
Latimer now, the flames that consumed
him? All those who through the
grace of Christ reach that
land, will never be disturbed.
None to dispute their throne, they shall
reign for ever and ever. But, alas, for
those who have made no preparation for
the future! When the sharp-shod hoof of
eternal disaster come up painting and swift
Ia 90 over them, how will they contend
with horses? And when the waves of their
wretchedness rise up, white and toamy,
under the sweeping of eternal storms, and
the billows become more wrathiul and
dash more high, oh, what will they do
'amid the swelling of Jordan"
If could come into your heart this mo.
ment, would see that many of you, my
dear friends, had
VOWED To he THE Logp'S.
know not what sickness it WAS, or what
trial; but verify believe there il not a
man in the houSc but has sometimes vowed
he would be the Lords. II might have
heen at the time when your child lay sick,
YOU said: 80 Lord, il thou wilt let this
child get well, will bc a Christian" Or
II might have been in sOme business
trouble, when you have said: 80 Lord, il
thou wilt let me keep my property, will
be Christian You keep your property,
your child got well, the peril passed. Are
you Christian? History says that long
ago il had been announced that the world
was coming To an end and there was great
excitement in London. IL was said that
the world would perish on certain Fri
day. On Tuesday, "Wednesday, Thursday
and Friday the people were in the cathe-
dral praying and weeping IL seemed ~
If the whole English nation was being con
yertcd to God, for il wac announced as GER
tain by philosophers that on that coming
Friday the world would perish. Friday
came, and there were no portents, no fires
in the air, no earthquakes. The day passed
along just like any other day, and when il
was past and the night came, il is said that
in London there was scene Of riot
and wasSail, and drunkenness, and
never been witnessed. They forgot their
VOW, they forgot their repentance they
forgot their good resolutions. o how
much hum IN nature in that While trials |
and miSiOrtuncs come tO ~, and We are |
down deep in darkness and trouble We
make VOWS. Wc.say: 80 Lord, do So
and will do So"
TUE DARKNESS PASSES,
the peril goes away. We are as we were |
before, or wore; for oh, how often have |
seen men start for the kingdom Of God, |
come up 10 within arms reach Oi il, and |
then go back farther from God than they
ever were before, dropping from the very |
moment Of their privilege into darkness |
forever oh, how uDgratefnl we have
been, Do you know how much God has |
done for you and for me- Have you
never felt il; How much He did for you |
to-day. Who spread the table for you? |
Who watched you last night; Who has
been kind and good TO you all |
your life long? oh how ungrateiul We |
have been, Mctbinks the goodness oil
God ought to lead this whole auhience iO |
ppcBtance. know not your individual |
history. Some Of YOU | never saw before. |
Some Of you ! wilt never see again; but I |
know that God has been good 10 y0u. |
What return have you made There WAS |
"a t.
heavily laden with passengers, and there !
was little child who st0pi on the side OF
the tafirail leaning over and watching the !
water. when she lost her balance aad !
dropped into the waysL The lake was
very rough The mother cried: Save |
my child! Save my child" There secn-
ed noue disposed 10 leap into the water. |
There was Newfoundland dog 0n deck
lie looked up in his masters iaGT, as it
fur orders. His master =aid: Tray, over
board, catch EN-
THE DUG sPRAEG INTO THE wATEg,
caught the child 10y the garments, and
swan back TO the steamer. The child Was
picked up by loving hands, the dog was
lifted on deck, and the mother. ere she
tainted away, 10 utter Thanksgiving 10
that dog, threw her arms around it, neck
and kissed it; bat the dog shook bimseif
of from her embrace, and went aud laid
down ~ though he had accomplished
nothing. Shall a mother be grateful to a
dog that SAVES her child, aud I've ungrateful
tO the Son OF God who, from the heights
OF heaven, plunged into the depths Of
darkness, and suffering. and woe, that He
Right liit Us up out of our sin and place
Us Oh the rock Of sges. Oh, the height,
the depth, the length, the infnity, the
horror Of our ingratitude! Don't You
treat Jesus like that any more. Don't
you thrust Him hack from your soul. He
has been the best friend you ever had.
You will want him after awhile. When
the world is going away from your grasp,
and all the lights that shine on your soul
are going ont, and the friends that stand
around you can do you no good, and you.
feel your feet slipping from beneath you--